On my way to Mexico, via Miami, my credit card got abused. Somehow. Suddenly someone had been charging my card with expensive plane tickets – no, not mine this time! (Ryanair actually called to warn me – a nice suprise from a company known to be…not so nice). Of course I got the card blocked and ordered a new one. However, before my new card arrived I was heading for Cuba, my first Dreamyear vacation (ok, if you don’t count a very vacation like stopover in Miami…). In Mexico I’ve been using my mastercard, and it works – in most places.
Arriving at the airport in Havana after a long night of travel (Xalapa – Mexico City – Panama – Havana! Why make things simple?) I did the first thing I normally do when arriving in a new country; headed to the ATM to get some cash. It didn’t work. I asked if there were other ATMs at the airport. «Ehh….no?» Ok. «I will have to get to the city center and try another bank. I just have to convince a taxi driver in my broken Spanish that I will pay him after withdrawing money». So I did. It looked like he had seen this scene a couple of times before, so he took me to an ATM where it should work according to him. It did not work.
The taxi driver, let’s start to call him by his actual name as we will be well aquainted – Ernesto, then understood that maybe it was the master part of my card that was the problem. «Ah, master card, no good in Cuba….I’ll take you to a big hotel. They normally take master cards!». Big, fancy hotel. Master card still not working. He then took me to an international bank with actual people serving me. He asked for my passport, swiped my card, I got my hopes up – and no. «Seems like your card is blocked, ma’am. Does your bank have connections with a US bank?» HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW??? (this has to do with the US blockade of Cuba)
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| This is not Ernesto by the way, I didn't think of taking a photo in my despair... |
I was frustrated. It was 30+ degrees, I was in my flight
outfit (that is, a lot of clothes!). I had slept about 2-3 hours that night. I
realized that I was alone on Cuba with no money. No money. I started crying.
Ok, I was sobbing. Ernesto put a hand on my shoulder and asked me to sit in the
front seat, looking worried. «Relax, everything will be ok!» «But I don’t have
any money. I can’t even pay you! [we’ve been driving around for a couple of
hours by then] I HAVE NO MONEY!» «We will find a solution! You’ll pay me
tomorrow, or another day! What you need now is a pool and a beer!» I dried my
tears and breathed a little easier. How lucky I was to have run into this taxi
driver! On advice from one of the 36292 bank people we tried an office called
Asisto, made to help tourists with all kinds of problems. Obviously not this particular one. All they could do was giving me the adress to the Norwegian Embassy. We drove there,
a good 15 minute drive, to a more posh area of the city. It turns out they have
given us the wrong adress, the Embassy just moved a month ago... We drove to
the new adress. I talked to the girl at the Embassy, she gave me a list of all
the banks and places I’ve already tried and said «sorry, that’s all we can do!»
I burst into tears again and I think both me and Ernesto
found out it was best to call it a day. He drove me to Alejandro, a guy with a casa particulare (simply a private house,
very common to use instead of hotels in Cuba) that my friend Ida had
recommended to me after a great stay there herself*. Ernesto gave me his card
and said «call me when you want to pay and I’ll stop by!». I crossed my fingers
that Alejandro would be as understanding as Ernesto and rang the bell. I don’t
know what Alejandro was thinking when he saw a red eyed sweaty Norwegian girl,
but he welcomed me in, listened to my story and said «How can I help you?». He
said that of course I could stay, as long as I wanted, we could deal with
payment later, and did I need anything? He lent me some money, and told me about
Cimex, the national bank, which I believe it or not had not tried. We decided I
should try the next day, and for now relax and have dinner at home with some
Italian guys who also stayed there.
The day after I felt much better after a nights sleep, ready
to hit the Cimex and finally solve the problem. It did not work. I tried the
Embassy again (new taxi driver, we got the same wrong adress, and then had to
drive to the new one, which was approximately where we started from..). The
same girl was there. She could still not help me, but said that my insurance
company sure would have to have some solution? As phoning is extremely
expensive and complicated in Cuba I asked if I could borrow the phone at least.
A cup of coffee served in a fancy Foreign Ministry Cup accompanied the
insurance company turning me down over the phone. «Sorry, this is a bank
issue». (oh, I forgot, of course I’d already called my bank asking for
emergency cash, a service they provide when your card is blocked, but «hm, I
think Cuba is one of the few places in the world where we cannot provide this
service.»)
Back to Alejandro. I asked him if maybe my mother could
transfer money to his account? Only a couple of obstacles: My mother has the same
bank as I do, would she be able to transfer to a Cuban bank account? Can you
transfer money to a Cuban bank account? Alejandro mentionned a Spanish master
card he had (he’s been working there) but now his son in the US has it… Some
other obstacles: My phone didn’t work (new mexican sim card I hadn’t figured out).
I didn’t have internet. My mother was on vacation in Sweden, in a cottage with no
internet. Weekend was coming up (no banks open). Alejandro gave me a cuba libre
and started calling around. He found a list of banks his Cuban bank could deal
with. No Norwegian banks on the list, but a Swedish one! I reached my mother in
Sweden and asked her to go to this bank the next day. She did so, and managed
to transfer the money. Apparently. We still waited 5 days for the money to
reach Alejandro, in the meantime we crossed our fingers and he lent me all the
money he could (I think he streched far to do that).
I’ve heard all these stories about Cubans trying to trick
you, but my first meeting with Cubans proved otherwise! (and yes, I paid
Ernesto back – I may not be Cuban, but I am afterall from the Land of Social
Trust!)
Gunnhild
*I strongly recommend Alejandros' casa. More than being so kind, the appartment has a really good standard, it is situated in Vedado (a residential neighbourhood, not as touristy as Old Havana) right by the Malecon. The breakfasts are amazing, and they make you pretty good dinners as well (but this comes extra, just so you know).
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